President Muhammadu Buhari Saturday strongly condemned the attack by bandits at Government Science Secondary School, Kankara in Katsina State.
The president, according to a statement by presidential spokesman, Malam Garba Shehu, charged the army and the police to go after the attackers and ensure that no student gets missing or harmed.
He urged the school authorities to carry out an audit of the students’ population following shootings in and around the school which he said sent hundreds of students fleeing and scrambling over perimeter walls.
He also advised parents who rushed to the school to pick up their children and wards to report to both the school and police authorities in order to have a full account of the school population.
“I strongly condemn the cowardly bandits’ attack on innocent children at the Science School, Kankara. Our prayers are with the families of the students, the school authorities and the injured,” Buhari said.
He pledged his continuous support to the police and military battle against terrorists and bandits.
According to the statement, the latest briefing that Buhari received from Katsina State governor, Aminu Bello Masari, and the Chief of Army Staff, General Tukur Buratai, showed that the military, supported by air power had located the bandits’ enclave at Zango/Paula forest in Kankara and there were consequent exchange of fire adding that the police had reported that there had been no reported casualty.
The statement added that the president had ordered a reinforcement of security in all schools in line with safe schools’ policy of the administration.
Meanwhile, Katsina State Governor Aminu Masari has ordered the immediate closure of all boarding secondary schools in the state.
Barely few hours after President Muhammadu Buhari arrived his home state in Kastina on Friday, gunmen suspected to be bandits invaded the school in Kankara and abducted unknown number of students.
Residents who disclosed this said that the gunmen invaded the school about 10.15 p.m and shot at one of the policemen manning the main gate of the school.
One of the policemen, who was said to have been wounded on the leg, is currently receiving treatment in a hospital in the Kankara town.
It was learnt that the bandits then proceeded to the staff quarters where they abducted the wife of an employee in the school before they stormed the students’ hostel and abducted unspecified number of students.
The Katsina State Police Command also said no fewer than 200 students of Government Science Secondary School, Kankara had been rescued after gunmen attack in the school Friday night.
The spokesman for the command, SP Gambo Isah, disclosed on Saturday that a police inspector was injured during attempts to rescue the students.
Governor’s Masari’s directive follows the abduction of the students.
The governor spoke on Saturday during his visit to the school.
The governor met with the school officials, parents, traditional and religious leaders as well as security officials.
The governor reportedly pleaded with the people to be patient, assuring them that the government would do every necessary thing to ensure the release of all the abducted students.
